This invention is directed generally to systems which monitor and record motion events. More particularly, it relates to the accurate management and control of time-sequential imaging and display, with application in numerous fields of science and technology. Most particularly, the invention provides a total race-management system which has wide ranging utility in measuring timed sporting events.
Prior art systems which track and record a motion event over time are overwhelmingly directed towards the support of racing events. Standard photographic techniques which monitor the finish line of a race are known. Typically, cameras equipped for high resolution imaging view the finish line and sequentially capture pictures at a high rate for later use by an interpreter. However, this process is cumbersome, wasteful, and time-consuming, requiring, for example, an apparatus of photographic film and paper, processing chemicals, and image enlargers or projection optics. Consequently, most races rely on human judges and revert to "photo-finish" technology only in extremely close races. Specialty Instrument Corporation provides a myriad of such electronic and photo-finish systems under the trademark Accutrack.TM.. U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,869 exemplifies one such Accutrack.TM. system.
Because of the problems with the "photo-finish" technology, numerous other systems for monitoring racing events have been developed. However, these other methods and systems for timing sporting events present new difficulties. Video systems which record and display races in a standard television or video format are popular, but regardless of the particular implementation of these systems, a portion of the electronic image remains on an analog medium, e.g., video tape. Since analog data from the systems consists of a continuum of information over time, it is relatively difficult to accurately apportion to a unique time interval. It is even more difficult to access a particular moment in time in the recorded sequence because the associated system must search the storage medium, typically having a long physical length in a spooled format, e.g., a video cassette. This presents both limitations and difficulties for users wishing to simultaneously record, view the current race, and review earlier segments of the race (or even a previous race) because only one user can have access to any of the information stored and recorded at any one time.
A further difficulty in analog data is that it must be converted to a signal usable for video, television, or a computer before it is displayed. For example, after a completed search, the selected video tape segment is typically sent to active memory before it can be processed by a computer and, quite possibly, by supplemental complex graphics generators. Altogether, the analog format and related processing adds to the time required to review a race and therefore lengthens the decision making process.
Another problem faced by race systems occurs in the management of extended time events, like a marathon or bicycle race, which can last for hours or until each entrant finishes. The runners or cyclists cross the finish line in groups; and for long periods, the finish line is void of persons. The relevant information at the finish line is thus sporadic, and includes significant amounts of "dead" time. In analog systems, this dead time is nevertheless recorded and stored so that the system can retain time synchronism with the event, even though it is generally useless for other reasons and adds to the time required for processing and reviewing the race.
Several race systems have attempted to improve the management and accessibility of data taken during a race by transforming the recorded information to a digital equivalent. But, these systems also revert to an analog format before displaying the race on a screen. As examples, U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,751 shows a video recording system having both digital and analog sections to provide display on a common cathode ray tube (CRT). U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,283 similarly describes another partially digital system which displays races on a standard television format. These analog/digital systems still have many of the problems inherent in all analog systems.
It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a system for recording and displaying a time-sequential scene of bodies crossing a plane. In particular, the system provides improvements in managing and recording timed sporting events which reference bodies or entrants crossing a finish line relative to the start of an external event.
Still another object of the invention is to provide improvements in the manipulation of timed information representative of bodies passing a plane in space, such as person crossing a finish line in a race.
Yet another object is to provide improved access, control and storage of a scene comprising a sequence of discrete time images.
Most particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a race monitoring and recording system which can record and display a race in a digital format.
These and other objects will become apparent in the description below.